Dead Cells blends the progression of Metroidvania with roguelike permadeath, creating a fast-paced action game where every run teaches you something new. Combat is tight and responsive with dodge-rolling, parrying, and juggling enemies between dual-wielded weapons and two skill slots. The permanent upgrade system (spending Cells at the Collector between runs) ensures progression even after deaths — new weapons, mutations, and Flask charges carry over. The Boss Cell system adds 5 difficulty levels that fundamentally change the game by adding harder enemies, removing healing fountains, and introducing Malaise (a disease that kills you if it reaches 10 stacks). The game received multiple free DLCs adding new biomes, bosses, and weapons.
Your choice of equipment defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.
Equipment Rankings
| Equipment | Tier | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sadist's Stiletto | S | Brutality | A Brutality dagger that deals +100% damage to enemies affected by bleeding, burning, or poison. |
| Electric Whip | A | Tactics | A Tactics weapon that automatically targets the nearest enemy without aiming. |
| Heavy Crossbow | A | Tactics | A Tactics ranged weapon with massive single-shot damage and knockback. |
| Flawless | B | Survival | A Survival shield that returns 100% of blocked damage to attackers on a perfect parry. |
| Giantkiller | B | Survival | A Survival two-handed sword that deals bonus damage proportional to enemy max HP — the more HP an enemy has, the more damage Giantkiller deals. |
S-Tier: Sadist's Stiletto
A Brutality dagger that deals +100% damage to enemies affected by bleeding, burning, or poison. Combined with the Open Wounds mutation (all attacks cause bleed), every hit procs the bonus. The Stiletto's attack speed is fast, making it one of the highest sustained DPS weapons.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Brutality |
| Key Mechanic | procedural levels |
| Recommended Build | Brutality |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Sadist's Stiletto: Pairs naturally with Brutality thanks to stat scaling synergies.
A-Tier: Electric Whip
A Tactics weapon that automatically targets the nearest enemy without aiming. It deals moderate damage with constant chain-lightning effects. The auto-targeting removes the skill floor, making it excellent for speedrunning and players who want to focus on movement rather than aiming.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Tactics |
| Key Mechanic | cell collection |
| Recommended Build | Tactics |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Electric Whip: Pairs naturally with Tactics thanks to stat scaling synergies.
A-Tier: Heavy Crossbow
A Tactics ranged weapon with massive single-shot damage and knockback. Each bolt pins enemies to walls for bonus damage. Slow fire rate but devastating per hit. Excellent for eliminating dangerous enemies before they reach you.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Tactics |
| Key Mechanic | permanent upgrades |
| Recommended Build | Survival |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Heavy Crossbow: Pairs naturally with Survival thanks to stat scaling synergies.
B-Tier: Flawless
A Survival shield that returns 100% of blocked damage to attackers on a perfect parry. This makes parrying incredibly rewarding — a perfectly timed block against a boss attack can deal thousands of damage. Requires precise timing but the payoff is enormous.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Survival |
| Key Mechanic | mutation system |
| Recommended Build | Two-Color |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Flawless: Pairs naturally with Two-Color thanks to stat scaling synergies.
B-Tier: Giantkiller
A Survival two-handed sword that deals bonus damage proportional to enemy max HP — the more HP an enemy has, the more damage Giantkiller deals. This makes it the premier boss-killing weapon, dealing 2-3x damage against bosses compared to regular enemies.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Survival |
| Key Mechanic | boss cell difficulty |
| Recommended Build | Colorless Build |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Giantkiller: Pairs naturally with Colorless Build thanks to stat scaling synergies.
Equipment Progression Path
The order you should acquire equipment as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Prisoners' Quarters
- Electric Whip → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Heavy Crossbow → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Sadist's Stiletto → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Equipment Tips
- Always upgrade your primary equipment before diversifying — one strong option beats three mediocre ones.
- Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- When choosing scrolls, always pick the one matching your primary stat color (Brutality/Tactics/Survival) for the bonus HP. Off-color scrolls give stats but no HP, making you a glass cannon.
- Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More Dead Cells Guides
- Dead Cells Dead Cells Overview
- Dead Cells Best Builds
- Dead Cells Tier List
- Dead Cells Walkthrough
- Dead Cells Beginner's Guide
- Dead Cells Tips & Tricks
- Dead Cells Combat Guide
- Dead Cells Boss Guide
- Dead Cells Maps & Locations
- Dead Cells Crafting Guide
- Dead Cells Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Dead Cells, check out these related guides:
- Risk of Rain 2 Weapons Guide — roguelike game with similar mechanics
- Hades Weapons Guide — roguelike game with similar mechanics
- Darkest Dungeon Weapons Guide — roguelike game with similar mechanics
